I refer to your e-mail of 27 July in which you express concern because my letter to you was written on behalf of the Lord Advocate and your complaint included reference to the Lord Advocate’s role in 2000 at the Procurator Fiscal’s Office in Aberdeen. Thank you for clarifying the nature of your concern in this regard. I have now had the opportunity to make further enquiry about the case with the Procurator Fiscal’s office at Aberdeen. The current Lord Advocate was not appointed as the Regional Procurator Fiscal at Aberdeen until 21 July 2000 which was after the decision in this case was taken. Indeed there is no information contained in the records to suggest that the current Lord Advocate had any involvement in this case at any time.

I appreciate, however, that your principal concern relates to the outcome of the investigation and the fact that there has been no prosecution. As I explained in my last email and in our telephone conversation, Grampian Police are continuing to investigate aspects of the case and for that reason I cannot comment on the case or the reasons for any decisions taken thus far.

It might be helpful, however, if I explain in general terms how such decisions are taken in Scotland.

When the Procurator Fiscal receives a report of a crime from the police he or she must consider:

In Scotland, each of the essential elements of the crime requires to be proved beyond a reasonable doubt and on the basis of corroborated evidence which means that there must be evidence from at least two sources to prove that the crime took place and that the accused person was the perpetrator. The Crown has no power to prosecute where the available evidence in the case does not meet that standard.

I have ensured that the Procurator Fiscal at Aberdeen is aware of the particular concerns which you have raised in this case and I can assure you that if any new information is reported to the Procurator Fiscal, it will be considered with the utmost care.

I hope that you are reassured by the information which I have been able to provide.

Andrew McIntyreHead of Victims and Diversity

Policy DivisionCrown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service

‘Open the curtains, throw open the windows and permit the light of investigation and fresh air into family courts and sexual, emotional and physical abuse of the vulnerable – expose the abuse & the abuse of authority of those acting in OUR name!No child asked to be or enjoys abuse,it is for the gratification of the inadequate‘.

Thank you for your promptness and courtesy in calling me this morning. It is appreciated as the ramifications of this truly dreadful case require a certain degree of urgency.

My concern over your letter of 23rd July is the involvment of the Lord Advocate, as it is my complaint about her conduct whilst acting as Procurator Fiscal in Aberdeen in 2000 that has allowed the situation to development as it has. I do appreciate that this is an unusual, if not unique case, but I do insist that in the interests of justice and those of the people of Scotland, the Lord Advocate herself must surely with draw from any direct involvement in this investigation.

Grampian Police has accepted that Hollie Greig was telling the truth about her abusers in 2000 and all other medical and professional counselling evidence supports that.

Your sentence stating that allegations of sexual abuse of vulnerable people are treated with the utmost seriousness by the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service.

I contend that this was not the case when Mrs Angiolini acted as Procurator Fiscal in Aberdeen in 2000.The facts and its appalling wider implications were perfectly clear even then, but were quashed by her. In no way could her conduct and inaction be consistent with the public interest, the protection of the vulnerable and the course of justice.

Nine years have passed, causing unimaginable misery to those at the mercy of the perpetrators, quite apart from, at the very least, the negative impact on the Madeleine McCann investigation.

The Lord Advocate should be questioned, preferably under Oath, about any personal knowledge she may have had of Sheriff Graeme Buchanan, one of the named abusers of Hollie Greig.

Your cooperation would be greatly appreciated on this issue and I shall offer my full support to you and the people of Scotland in attempts to bring these shocking practices to an end and those responsible to justice.

Finally, I would remind you that both Mark Daly and Kathy Long have stated to Anne Greig and me that they know of other serious cases of a similar type taking place in Scotland at present, including one of a young woman with learning difficulties who is alone without protection and is being repeatedly sexually abused.

Given the gravity of the matters, I shall copy in the First Minister, of course.

Yours sincerely,

Robert GreenInvestigator

‘Open the curtains, throw open the windows and permit the light of investigation and fresh air into family courts and sexual, emotional and physical abuse of the vulnerable – expose the abuse & the abuse of authority of those acting in OUR name!No child asked to be or enjoys abuse,it is for the gratification of the inadequate‘.